CNN anchor Jake Tapper appeared stunned Tuesday during a live broadcast as early polling data revealed a dramatic 20-point shift among independent voters in Georgia toward former President Donald Trump compared to what President Joe Biden got in 2020.
During CNN’s “Election Night in America” coverage, Tapper seemed surprised by the results of Georgia’s exit poll centers for independent voters who now favor Trump by 11 points. These results are a dramatic reversal from the 9-point advantage Biden held four years ago.
“Independent voters, they make up 31% of the electorate, that is a slightly larger share than what they made up four years ago. Trump is winning them by 11 points in these early exit poll results, 54% to 30%,” David Chalian told Tapper. ” Jake, four years ago, Joe Biden won independent voters in Georgia when he won the state by nine points, so we’ve seen a swing of 20 points towards Trump in terms of the margin, from a nine-point advantage four years ago with independence for Biden to now an 11-point advantage with independence.”
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“Wow, they’re giant,” Tapper said. “That is really significant.”
The exit polls also indicated that while Vice President Harris leads the black vote at 86%, this figure is slightly lower from Biden’s previous 88% in 2020. Trump has also made a marginal gain among these voters in the early polls.
“African-American vote in Georgia, it’s making up 30% of the electorate, according to these early exit polls. Harris obviously winning it big 86% to 12%, but I want to note here that 86% number four years ago, Joe Biden had 88% a tick higher of support of the African-American vote and Trump’s 12%, he is a tick higher than he was four years ago when that was 11%, but it’s roughly the same with the black vote,” Chalian added.
The exit poll highlights Georgia’s shifting political landscape, where Biden’s slim 2020 victory marked the first Democratic win in about three decades, according to The Associated Press. Following a hand recount, Georgia’s election officials confirmed Biden’s lead over Trump, resulting in the AP awarding the state’s 16 electoral votes to Biden in 2020, boosting his total to 306 against Trump’s 232.
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